“So they say. But I’m not sure. Here comes my sergeant. I’ll ask.”
There was an exchange of confidences, and then the Motor Boys heard more bad news.
“I thought so!” exclaimed Ned, as he turned away from where he had been questioning the two soldiers.
“Thought what?” asked Jerry.
“That the wireless had given out! That’s what happened. The storage battery short-circuited, the auxiliary dynamo burned out, and they can’t get off a single message.”
“Perhaps they had already sent out an S. O. S. call,” suggested Jerry, hoping to the last.
“They started one, the sergeant says,” replied Ned, “but the apparatus went fluey before they could give our position.”
“Gee! that’s tough luck!” exclaimed Bob.
“Oh, it might be worse!” declared Jerry, with a hopefulness he did not altogether feel. “They got off a message asking for help, and even though our position wasn’t given, it can be pretty well guessed. They know which way we started, and about how fast we have steamed. They can send some one out to pick us up.”